Satellite data shows Rift Valley heat

The Earth-observing satellite Envisat belonging to the European Space Agency (ESA), headquartered in Paris, is providing insight as to the geothermal potential of the Great Rift Valley in Kenya as well as to the potential for dangerous volcanism. Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar interferograms (SAR Interferometry or InSAR) show small surface displacements that are not visible to the naked eye. A group of scientists employed the technique on more than a decade worth of radar images from ESA’s Envisat and ERS satellites to study volcanic activity in the Valley, which extends through Africa from Mozambique to Djibouti. Follow the link to see some of the results.